1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of wireless telecommunications. More particularly, it relates to a system and method for implementing a tour guide system in a wireless phone network.
2. Background of Related Art
Conventional wireless tour guide systems are typically local systems, e.g., walkie-talkies. For instance, currently existing solutions use a specialized walkie-talkie device and an in-house information database to retrieve information for users based on keypad input then transmit analog voice bites using short range walkie-talkie technologies. The walkie-talkies are typically rented and returned at each tourist location of interest.
Such walkie-talkie type systems typically require manual input from the user, e.g., via keypad entry, which is sent to the content end, which then determines which sound bite to retrieve, download in return and play.
Other tour guide systems require location information to be input by a user, or determined by equipment such as a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver in the mobile unit, using a dial-up connection through the public switched telephone network (PSTN) for selecting and downloading analog voice information. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,045 to Giniger et al. (“Giniger”) teaches the provision of position-related information by mobile devices uploaded to a central cite server. The central cite server uses the received position information sent by the mobile device, retrieves corresponding response information from a table, and plays the retrieved response information over a telephone line back to the mobile unit. (See, e.g., Giniger Abstract and FIG. 5).
Just as in the conventional walkie-talkie systems, systems such as Giniger require location information to be determined and/or provided directly by the mobile device to a central server over the PSTN. For instance, as Giniger explains, a global positioning satellite (GPS) in the mobile device itself determines a location of the subscriber, which is uploaded to the central cite server over the PSTN for direction as to the desired sound bite to be retrieved and downloaded back to the mobile device via the PSTN.
While these tour guide systems are useful, they require either costly specialized components (e.g., a GPS receiver), or manual input from the user, requiring the user to look away from their tourist attraction. These disadvantages either increase costs of the tourist held devices and/or generally distract the user from the overall tour guide experience.
There is a need for a tour guide system which does not require costly specialized components, and/or importantly which does not require location information to be uploaded directly by the mobile device itself.